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Friday, December 10, 2010

Goodbye to Udeh

It is with genuine sadness that I tell of the news that Udeh is leaving us. His last day will be Tuesday 14th December.

Udeh became part of the group for just over a year. He has been a real blessing and a proper encouragement to us all.

Although he has had a few difficulties over the year he has always brought his needs to the group for prayer and saw God answer him; not least in having his contract extended from 3 months to over a year.

He will be flying out with his family out to Nigeria for the Christmas break and return in the new year to a new job.

He has already been offered new posts via his agency. He is open though that if they offer him to return here he will think about it hard.

Udeh is a really honourable man, but he will not enjoy me saying so.

Please pray for him and his future.
  • Pray for his interview for the new job on Tuesday.
  • Pray that he stays close to Jesus and that he will have the opportunity to start a new group up in his new work situation..
We shall miss you Udeh.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Modupe's Carol Service Talk 2010

Christmas Carol Sermon 2010 – TH Christian Fellowship Group at All Saints Church – Poplar

What do we find wonderful and exciting about Christmas? Is it decorations, the party atmosphere, the festive food, the holidays off work and being with our family and friends?
If you ask many families what makes their Christmas enjoyable and exciting - they will probably answer: the children - seeing their faces light up as they unwrap their presents, giving and receiving presents from loved ones.

At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus - the fulfilment of God’s promise to send a Messiah, a Saviour, a descendent of David whose kingdom will never end.

Luke’s gospel describes the news of the coming of the Messiah. It tells us of the greetings from the Angel, and the news that Mary would have a Son - it tells us about her protest that she was not yet married and it tells us the angel’s reply to Mary that it would not be a man who would come to her but the Holy Spirit of God Himself, and Mary responds to God’s will.

Mary is humbled – she is astonished to be greeted as one who is specially favoured.

She is honest and not afraid to question the Angel as to how his promise to her can possibly come true.

Mary says ‘Yes’ and accepts God’s will for her life, and so becomes the mother of the Saviour of the world.

The expected event was to be unique - something wonderful - a new human being - but one whose origin was with God Himself – the Son of the Most High.

Let’s talk about the wise men referred to in the gospel of Matthew as Magi. At that particular time of Jesus’ birth the wise men had seen an unusual new star in the sky and knew that it signified the birth of a special King because we are told that they study the stars.

The star guided them to Bethlehem to a house where the child Jesus was in a crib in a manger – not in an NHS ward wrapped in the best cotton shawl and placed in a glass cot, not in a palace fit for a King like Jesus is meant to be. That is the humility of the birth of Jesus, though he was rich, yet for our sake he became poor, so that we through his poverty might become rich.

The men paid tribute and offered the child Jesus gifts - the reason we exchange gifts at Christmas as followers of Jesus, but most importantly because Jesus gave himself freely, He is our greatest gift.

The wise men came to Jesus by studying the star, by travelling a long way. Some of us come to faith by that long route but we just need to keep going, for God Himself will reward our quest.

What about the shepherds? Although the wise men might have studied the stars and knew about the impending birth, it was the shepherds who were told first when the angels of the Lord appeared to them in a vision and the glory of the Lord shone around them, so they set off for Bethlehem. They could have chosen to ignore the vision but obeyed and went to see the baby, the Saviour they had been promised. That night changed their lives forever. Their lives were changed because they went to find out for themselves. I bring the same good news and asking that we continue to seek Jesus and our lives will continually change forever.

Maybe we need to look again - at the reasons why Jesus came - and the difference He makes in our lives and our world today.

The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 1:26 “think of what you were when you were called. Not many were wise by human standards; not many are influential; not many were of noble birth but most of Jesus still loves us.

Jesus is atonement for our sins. In the Gospel of Luke, we see Jesus reach out to men and women, young and old, powerful and forgotten, demon possessed, and the politically connected.
God is still reaching out to everyone today. All we have to do is give our entire attention to what He is doing right now, and trust Him regarding what may or may not happen tomorrow.

Wishing you all a Merry Xmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year in Jesus’ name – Amen.